Kindly identify the individuals - only some of whom I can name, as it turns out-in the numbered images below. Your answers should be submitted via posts in this thread.And Please Do Not Repost these images when giving your answers,as doing so would make this thread even more slow-loading.Two of those in the photos- a man and a woman - are better remembered today as having been spousesof those who went on to greater fame. Oh, and everybody knows #0.

01234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132

Last edited by JFK on Fri Feb 23, 2018 3:33 pm, edited 5 times in total.

Great to see all the Junius Estep portraits. He began working with LA's great landscape photographer C. C. PIerce before getting into film photography, and later became William S. Hart's personal photographer. some nice Hoovers, Evans, and Witzels as well. Was Phil a booking agent or theatre manager?

"Phil" was Phil Dunham, a British-born comedian who got his start in film at Universal, and within a few years became one of L-Ko's star comedians and occasional director. With L-Ko's demise he starred in a few Century, Henry Lehrman, and Jack White comedies before moving into smaller roles in features. His career lasted into the early 1950s, although mostly in uncredited bit parts for the last dozen or so years.

Pathe Lehrman wrote:"Phil" was Phil Dunham, a British-born comedian who got his start in film at Universal, and within a few years became one of L-Ko's star comedians and occasional director. With L-Ko's demise he starred in a few Century, Henry Lehrman, and Jack White comedies before moving into smaller roles in features. His career lasted into the early 1950s, although mostly in uncredited bit parts for the last dozen or so years.

Ranked #72 in my book The 100 Greatest Silent Film Comedians. (Buy it!)

#2 is Peggy Aarup, not Peggy Pearce. Aarup starred in some L-Ko comedies in 1919. #4 is Merta Sterling, also an L-Ko star from 1917-1919. #9 is Eva Novak, at L-Ko as well from 1917-1919. #17, Dot Farley, was with L-Ko briedfly in 1919 before switching over to Century.#21 is Carolyn Wright, yet another L-Ko comedian at L-Ko 1918-1919.#24, Hughie Mack, at L-Ko as well 1917-1919.All of the abover were at L-Ko the same time that comedian/director Phil Dunham, the "Phil" of these photos, was at L-Ko.#28, Isadore Bernstein, was Universal's West Coast Manager before becoming one of the original incorporators of Henry Lehrman's L-Ko in 1914, along with Sam Behrendt, Abe Stern, and Alfred P. Hamberg.

Thanks so much, everyone. I'd also welcome guesses as to what the various signatures, and/or the letters in the signatures, may be.I don't want to influence anyone with my wild surmises, but #31, for instance, looks like "Nolbert"- a name that does not pop up in a "Lantern" search. So what letter(s) am I reading incorrectly?

#25, I think, might be Fred L. Wilson - the actor mentionedin this post- but that fellow may have never worked with 'Phil."

#30, I'm nearly certain, is "Ike" St. Johns, formerly both a Photoplay editor and an Adela Rogers St Johns hubby.In the item below, Ike bumps up against the former spouse of Henry Lehrman.

Like a bad penny, she keeps showing up! Leigh's volatile temper and seeming inability to restrain herself led to many clashes with first husband Henry Lehrman, requiring numerous moves and calls to the police to intercede. When he finally filed for a restraining order and divorce, the many instances cited of her short temper were stunning. When asked about the eventual divorce, a weary Lehrman responded “We have been ordered out of so many places, that I’m tired. I didn’t want to fight forever.”

It may have appeared to some that Lehrman was shifting blame to her when he filed for divorce, but when her second, short-lived marriage to director Luther Reed came to an end with disturbingly similar accusations on his part, Lehrman's claims no longer seemed so outrageous. And here (thanks, JFK!), is yet another instance of the fiery red-head's inability to keep her cool.

There's an entire chapter covering the above in blow-by-blow detail in my book, MR. SUICIDE: HENRY "PATHE" LEHRMAN AND THE BIRTH OF SILENT COMEDY, in case you want to hear the whole sordid story. It's available through the publisher, BearManor Media, and at amazon.com.

JFK! What a fabulous portrait collection of early Universal players! Some real nice ones, and the fact they once belonged to comedian/writer/director Phil Dunham is very cool.

Just dropped in to say #17 is not Dot Farley, I'm sure it isn't her. In fact your #14 and #17 are surely the one and same girl who I think (tho not positive) might be Dot Hagar who worked in comedies and features.

Turpinutz wrote:Just dropped in to say #17 is not Dot Farley, I'm sure it isn't her. In fact your #14 and #17 are surely the one and same girl who I think (tho not positive) might be Dot Hagar who worked in comedies and features. - SteveR

Thanks. I could find neither online images nor imdb death date for Dot Hagar/Hagan (who worked with Baby Peggy).

And now, deeper mysteries from the same batch:Is Marc Robbins (below) the guy in #12? No, I guess not....

Are the inscriptions below the performers' or the photographers' ?3334

Last edited by JFK on Sun Dec 03, 2017 4:02 am, edited 2 times in total.

Hutton worked with Dunham many times.But a friend just suggested #29 is Louise Lorraine/Fortune, who may not have worked with Dunham at all !( I ask you, was I placed upon this Earth just to suffer?---Or am I simply describing the fate of those who've met me?)